Underwater lighting equipment and electrical power sources are known. However, due to the inherent problems associated with an underwater environment, such as pressure, temperature and corrosiveness, the presently available portable lights and power sources have suffered from frequent failure and poor performance.
Current portable lights have an inefficient light head requiring a high wattage light source to produces a sufficient usable lumen resulting in greater power source requirements and decreased burn times. Further, lights employing reflectors that are exposed to the water are subject to deterioration, and are detrimentally effected by particulate matter in the water that blocks light transmission distorting and diffusing the beam from the light.
Additionally, present light systems are difficult to operate in the underwater environment. Some portable lights feature a switch on the power source that protrudes from the power source through a housing into the surrounding environment. Such a switch is often accidentally actuated resulting in unnecessary power source drain or lighting loss, which can be potentially hazardous to the user. If the switch is guarded, it can often be difficult to actuate in the underwater environment where a user must frequently wear gloves or mitts.
Many lights having toggle switches covered by a rubber boot to seal the battery from the environment. However, this boot is subjected to normal wear and abrasion, and eventually breaches causing the power source to flood with consequent damage to the power source and light components. Some lights have two portions which rotate relative to each other, for twist activating the light. However, these are deficient as metal contacts are subject to oxidation and corrosion; grounding to metal light parts could ultimately shock the user, and the twist mechanisms become difficult to use due to water pressure fluctuations as the user varies depth, the difficulty increasing with depth.
Further, most underwater light source produce only one beam pattern of light when in use, either a spot, flood or combination spot bright center with a broader flood pattern, that can not be altered during use.
Additionally, power sources currently available employ internal fuse mechanisms that break the circuit if a short occurs in the power source resulting in complete power failure during use. To correct this, the power source must be accessed in a dry environment to avoid further damage or flooding and replaced. In remote environments, such as on dive boats, if a replacement fuse is unavailable, the light source can not be used thereafter. Further, the connectors currently employed in the art are subject to oxidation resulting in decreased efficiency, increased heat production and the potential for fire or short circuiting.
Further, current lighting systems do not have a sealed solid flexible connecting cable that prevents damage to the light head, power source and function of the unit in the event that the cord covering is cut or otherwise ruptured during use.
In addition, current lighting systems do not have a sealed solid flexible cable that is resistant to pressure preventing the cable from extruding and flowing at high pressure resulting in damage to the light head, power source and function of the unit.